2007-08-29 08:10:28 · 32 answers · asked by mark o 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. They teach that Christ was and is Divine and of the same nature as God.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe!
Jehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ. They do NOT celebrate so-called "Christmas" because "Christmas" does NOT celebrate Christ; "Christmas" celebrates the pagan Saturnalia. Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.
(Jeremiah 10:2-5) This is what Jehovah has said: "Do not learn the way of the nations at all... 3 For the customs of the peoples are just an exhalation, because it is a mere tree out of the forest that one has cut down, the work of the hands of the craftsman with the billhook. 4 With silver and with gold one makes it pretty. With nails and with hammers they fasten them down, that none may reel. ...the doing of any good is not with them."
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
By contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".
(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”
(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”
Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.
How would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.
(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/
2007-08-29 08:39:24 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 16⤊ 4⤋
Yes, they are Christians. They take seriously Christ's command to 'go and make disciples' (Matthew 28:19, 20).
If you look into the roots of Christmas, you will see that it has very little, if anything, to do with Christ.
Contrary to common misconceptions, Jehovah's Witnesses have never believed that the world will end, they believe what the Bible teaches about the righteous possessing the earth and residing forever upon it. (Psalms 37:11, 29).
They correctly foretold the beginning of the last days in 1914. Some expected other things to happen at that time and they did not. Some witnesses have put faith in certain dates, this is because they desperatley want God's war of Armageddon to come - a time when the wicked are destroyed leaving the righteous to transform the earth into a Paradise in line with God's original purpose.
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Peace Crusader - even if Jehovah's Witnesses knew the date of Jesus' birth, they still wouldn't celebrate it. Birthday celebrations are also steeped in paganism.
Rella - If it's on Wikipedia it must be hard fact. Wow!
2007-08-29 08:22:19 · answer #2 · answered by Iron Serpent 4 · 13⤊ 1⤋
Jehovah Witnesses are very much Christians. Alot of people gave really good answers, but the bottom line is.....study the word of God and see what his views are on celebration of a Pagan festivals. The Witnesses follow God's law and not the traditions of men. It is a very hard thing to not be like most people and to do what everyone else is doing. This is what sets the Witnesses apart from other religions, because just as Jesus was no part of this world neither are they.
2007-08-29 18:13:40 · answer #3 · answered by GraycieLee 6 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Joe said it best. As far as Christmas goes even I do not celebrate it as most do. I do not buy gifts and such. I will not get caught up in debt just so someone can open a gift. I do decorate cause I love how pretty Christmas can be. No one knows for sure when Jesus was born. Even though Christmas has been set aside to celebrate his birth, it has lost its meaning.
2007-08-29 15:12:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Yes we are Christians. Jesus himself said the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24) Worshiping the Father in accord with truth means that we will not deliberately accept and act upon untruths such as December 25 being Christs birthday. We "cannot be drinking the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons;" We "cannot be partaking of “the table of Jehovah” and the table of demons." (1Corinthians 10:21) It is a well known fact, even by those who celebrate the holiday, that Christmas and the customs associated with it have pagan origins. In fact, pagan religions still observe this as sacred. We do our best to follow the Bibles admonition to worship God with spirit and truth and do not attempt to mix the true with the false.
2007-08-30 16:42:45 · answer #5 · answered by babydoll 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Did you see the TV commercial of the man sitting at his kitchen table with a dinner knife about to do surgery on himself with his doctor on the phone and he asks, "Shouldn't you be doing this?"
The non-JWs here have the worst case of mental breakdown I have seen in some time. Nothing is even close.
Yes we are Christians. The word means following the Christ. That is what we do. It is impossible to have a conversation about the Bible with us without our bringing up Jesus or his Father, Jehovah.
Jesus and his apostles did not celebrate Jesus' birthday so why should we? Really then, to celebrate his birthday would be against Jesus then.
As a 1st grader, I understood why I did not celebrate Christmas with the class as my parents had taught me what the Bible said. I was never disappointed. My parents always gave me presents at anytime during the year. Never because they had to.
As a general rule, JW kids are brighter at reading and comprehension than others. That is because parents teach kids early. Study with them. Read and be read to.
So missing out on a Coke and a cookie or cupcake was not going to be big thing to me. Neither would a piece of colored construction paper cards. Pleasing Jehovah did please me and still does.
2007-08-30 03:08:05 · answer #6 · answered by grnlow 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Many things in this denomination bother me. They assume jesus is Michael the archangel. With the the voice of the archangel Jesus will decend, does not mean he is Michael. Just like with the voice of the announcer the football team ran onto the fieldl; dosnt make the team the announcer. They denounce the Trinity, which clearly upon study of the greek text is proved. They dont believe jesus was crucified on a cross, which we have multiple documents of even non christian romans and the jews will agree with. Amazing to me how one of the worlds most fervent groups that preach beware of false doctrine do the majority of the false teaching. They are a cult who are mislead. Now in praying for a coworker of mine whom I have debated many times God revealed to me " treat him not as an enemy yet warn him as a friend." Thats what i have tried to do with any of them yet. They do however go to school to confuse you with scripture 3 times a week. They study they spread the word and they believe works has the major implication of salvation, My jehovah witness friend Its GRACE. there has to be works but Its all about GRACE..
2007-08-31 04:28:19 · answer #7 · answered by Chad C 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The Jehovah’s Witnesses may be Christians because they believe in Jesus Christ and the scripture they use is the Bible. However, they don’t recognize Jesus Christ as God. They don’t believe in the Trinity. And this is the problem of the Christian faith now. Many sects and denominations sprout because they have their own interpretation of the Bible as their doctrines to set them different from others.
The JW does not celebrate Christmas because of its origin. They believe that Jesus was not actually born on December 25. However, they also do not want to set any date when Jesus was born. Why? Because they do not know. If they set a date, that may be wrong and they don’t want to be branded as being wrong. Their claim is that their teaching is the truth and one obvious error can nullify their claim of having the true interpretation.
2007-08-30 04:39:38 · answer #8 · answered by Peace Crusader 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
I just want to say that you got some very good answers from my Christian Jehovah 's Witness brothers and sisters, but you received some very incorrect answers from non-Witness people. It never ceases to amaze me at the mis-information that people come up with about our beliefs...if you want information about what Catholics believe would you go to Jehovah's Witnesses for the answers? Unless we were raised Catholic, how would we know? We might have heard things about them, or been told things, but would we have accurate first hand knowledge? Same way with wanting legal information...would you ask a doctor for legal advice, or go directly to a lawyer for correct information? My point is, you have gotten very bad and incorrect information about us from ALL the non-Witness answerers, so please disregard their answers if you truly want correct answers to this question.
Yes, we are Christians. We believe that Jesus is divine, and is much more than just a perfect man, but we do not believe that he is his own Father...Jesus is the son of Jehovah, who is God Almighty...the one true God.
(Psalm 83:18) “. . .That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
(John 17:3) “. . .This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.. . .”
Just for information to help you reason about our being Christian, here is a part of our daily text for today, this is something we all read and meditate on every day...
Though you never saw him, you love him.—1 Pet. 1:8.
Our loyalty to Christ is founded on appreciation for what he did as well as for his outstanding qualities. While on earth, Jesus as King-Designate displayed on a small scale what he will do as reigning King on a global scale in God’s due time. He fed the hungry. He healed the sick, the blind, the disabled, the deaf, and the speechless. He even brought some dead individuals back to life. (Matt. 15:30, 31; Luke 7:11-16; John 6:5-13) Because Jesus was mild-tempered and lowly in heart, those who were weighed down with pressures and burdens were refreshed by his upbuilding teachings and kind personality. (Matt. 11:28-30) Humble, discerning men eagerly became his disciples. (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 10:13-16) Having knowledge of Jesus’ life on earth enables us to get to know his qualities as earth’s future Ruler—most notably his self-sacrificing love.—Mark 1:40-45.
~wannaknow~
2007-08-30 01:58:25 · answer #9 · answered by wannaknow 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
being a Christian is not about celebrating christmas or any other holiday.
2007-08-30 18:53:39 · answer #10 · answered by akoaypilipino 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Christmas can trace it's roots back to pagan celebrations.
You might say that we do not celebrate Christmas BECAUSE we are Christians.
2007-08-29 09:03:57 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 11⤊ 1⤋